Banjo



(No Model.)

1". J. MILLER.

BANJO.

No. 310,906. Patented Jan. 20, 1885.

Hyman J WITNESSES Malia/6 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FREDERICK J. MILLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,906, dated January20, 1885.

Application iilrd January 22, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDEEroK J. MILLER, a citizen of the United Statesof North America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Banjos, of whichthe following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to improve the tone, quality, andfinish of a banjo, and the invention consequently embraces severalimprovements, that are hereinafter fully set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan of my improved banjo, with parts broken away toexhibit other parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of thehandle with hollow metal nut affixed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on lineor 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 1 7 Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a cross-section on line .2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrow, and showing my improved stretching-clamp. Fig. 6 is an enlargedelevation of a portion of the banjo-rim, showing the tail-pieceiuelevation. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line a m, Fig.4., showing a modified tubular metallic outlet in section. Fig. 8 is anenlarged sectional elevation showing my in1 proved metallic outlet insection. Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the banjorim,showing my improved clamp for stretching the banjo-head. Fig. 10 is anenlarged cross-section on line so 00, Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a plan of theturn-buckle used on a modification of the improved clamp shown in Fig.12. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of abanjo-rim, showing a side elevation, partly in section, of my improvedstretching clamp in place, on line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 13 is apartly-sectional side elevation of a portion of the banjo, showingvibratory helices attached. Fig. 14 is a plan of the same. Fig. 15 is anenlarged side elevation of my improved stretching-clamp.

The rim A of my improved banjo is constructed of wood, cork, or othernon-metallic substance, as shown at a, and is covered on both sides andtop with sheet metal, I), to giveit stilt ness and keep it in shape.Said sheet-metal covering I) may be applied in asingle piece, asindicated in Fig. 7, or in sections that may be soldered together, asindicated at c, Fig. 8, and, being raised above the upper edge of thewood a, i'orms entirely around the banjo-rim a tubular chamber, (1, bywhich the resonant power of the instrument is increased. The volume ofsound is increased by means of a sounding-board, 13, consisting of adisk of sheet metal having, preferably, a central aperture, f, and adownwardly-projecting edge flange, g, by which it is secured, in ahorizontal plane, by means of bolts or other devices, within the lowerpart of the banjo-rim, beneath the head G. Apertures h are commonly madein a baujo-rim for sound-outlets; but about such apertures the wood isapt to check or split, and therebyimpair the instrument. To avoid this Ilit in each aperture ii a metallic eyelet or thimble, i, as shown inFig. 7, or, preferably, I use for this purpose a trumpet-shaped thimbleor tube, as shown in Fig. 8 at i, the flaring mouth of which projectsbeyond the banjo-rim, and because of its shape increases thevolume ofsound. The arm G is for the most of itslength made hollow, as shown ati", to increase the resonance of the instrument, and is preferablyprovided with sunken i'rets 7., that may extend all the way r onlypartly across, as may be deemed best, and that connect with the eavityi". These sunken frets 7- enable the operator to run the hand morefreely down the arm, and to feel with more accuracy the points at whichto press the strings. The nut or post Z, over which the banjo-stringsare drawn, is made hollow and of metal in order to increase thevibrations of said strings. That prolongation, O, of the arm 0 whichpasses through the banjo-rim is tubular, and preferably made of metal,and may be perforated, as shown at Z, to increase the volume of sound,and on the sides of this prolongation 0, within the banjo-rim, may besecured helices m, for increasing the musical vibrations when theiiistruinent is played. The clamps E are attached to the metalstrainingring D by so]- der or rivets, as indicated in Fig. 9, insteadof, as is customary, by hooks, that are liable to catch in the garmentsof the operator. The

clamps or tightening-screws ordinarily used for drawing down thestrainin grin g, and thereby stretching the banjo-head, are soconstructed that they also catch in the clothes of the operator andcause much inconvenience. To avoid this objection I construct myimproved clamps E, each of which consists of a rod, or, flattened at theupper end, and having a right or left screw-threaded shank orprolongation, and of a lug, 11/, whose reduced end is screwthreaded inthe opposite direction from that of the rod-shank, and whose head isperforated at right angles to its length. These two parts have theirscrew ends connected by a turnbuckle, n". hen in place, with the upperend of the rod n riveted to the ring D, and the lug a secured to thebanjo-rim by screws a, the turning of the turn-buckle will stretch orloosen the head, as the case may be. A modification of this clamp isshown in Figs. 9 and 12, wherein a hook, 0, is substituted for the luga, and is designed to be engaged about the lower edge of the banjo-rim,as shown. The tail-piece H is an angle-plate of metal, bolted, riveted,or otherwise suitably secured to the ring D, as shown.

I am aware that violins have been provided with a metallicsounding-board, and also that it is common to provide banjos with woodensound-boards, and do not claim such, broadly, as in all such cases theconstruction and arrangement are essentially different from mine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a banjo, a rim constructed, substantially asherein shown and described, of a nonmetallic material, covered andstrengthened by a metallic sheathing in intimate contact with both sidesof and extending over the top of said rim, substantially as set forth.

2. In a banjo, a rim composed of a non-metallic material inclosed withinand filling the space between the sides of a sheet-metal case, leaving atubular chamber around the upper edge of said rim, as and for thepurposes specified.

3. The combination, with a banjo head and rim, of a centrally-aperturedmetallic sounding-board having a downwardly-projeeting flange, 9,substantially as herein shown and M described, and means for securingsaid sounding-board horizontally to the rim beneath the head, as setforth.

4. A banjo-rim provided with a metallic sheathing, in combination withmetallic tubes passing through said rim and sheathing, and performingthe double function of uniting said rim and sheathing and of serving assoundoutlets, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a banjo, the combination, with an arm, 0, and hollow metallic armprolongation C, of vibratory helices m, attached to said prolongation O,substantially as herein shown, and for the purposes described.

6. In a banjo, a hollow arm provided with transverse slots 7;, to servethe double function of guides and sound-outlets, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence oftwo witnesses, this 15th day ofJanuary, 1884.

FRED. J. MILLER. lVitnesses:

P. H. FLEMING, JACOB J. S'roRnR.

